Main Idea
Cause and Effect
Sequencing
Fact or Opinion
Finding word meaning
100
Being a clown isn’t all fun and games. Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every time they perform. When cowboys dismount or are bucked off of bulls at riding competitions, rodeo clowns jump in front of the bulls and motion wildly to get their attention. In this way rodeo clowns provide an alternate target, and in doing so protect the rider. So you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business. What is the main idea of this passage?
The main idea of this passage is that rodeo clowns protect cowboys by putting themselves in danger.
100
Angel practiced every night for basketball tryouts. The coach let her play on the team. What was the effect?
The coach let Angel play on the team.
100
Susan made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. First, she spread peanut butter on one slice of bread. Next, she spread jelly on one slice of bread. After spreading the jelly on, she put the two slices of bread together. Finally, she ate it. It was delicious! What happened at the end of the paragraph?
At the end of the paragraph Susan ate her sandwich.
100
Fact or opinion? George Washington was the first President of the United States under the Constitution.
Fact.
100
John was so hungry that he didn't leave a single particle of the muffin on the plate. What could be the meaning of the world particle?
A small piece.
200
Fellow Members of the Springfield Robotics Club: It has come to my attention that the workshop has been left an absolute mess on at least two separate occasions. Remember, that this is a shared space, so we must clean up behind ourselves after every meeting. It is in the spirit of keeping our club meeting space that we establish this rule: when you take a tool off the rack, put it back. If everyone puts their tools back immediately after they are done using them, there will be minimal mess to clean up, and we won’t get kicked out of the spot. So, if you like having a meeting place, put your tools back. What is the main idea of this passage?
This paragraph explains a new procedure for clean up for members of a robotics club.
200
Jane did not study for her test so she made and "F." What is the cause?
Jane did not study for her test.
200
Let’s try one more! Bill wants to tell a friend what he does in the morning before going to school. First, I get out of bed. Next, I get dressed. Then, I eat breakfast. After breakfast, I brush my teeth and make my lunch. Finally, I get on the bus and go to school. What happens at the beginning of Bill's morning?
First Bill gets out of bed.
200
Fact or opinion? Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.
Opinion.
200
Cassie took her time when she wrote in cursive, slowly making each word out of an elegant series of arcs and loops. What could be the meaning of the word elegant?
beautiful and graceful
300
Marie Curie not only the first woman to have won a Nobel Prize, she is also the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two different sciences. Most notably, however, Marie Curie discovered radiation. She was also the first person to use radiation to treat tumors. Curie experimented extensively with radioactivity during her scientific career. Unfortunately the damaging effects of radiation were not known then. Her exposure to radiation most likely was the cause of her blindness and early death. Still today her scientific papers are considered too dangerous to handle without protective equipment. These documents are stored in lead-lined boxes. Even her cookbook is radioactive. She must have made some really hot food in her lifetime. What was the main idea of this passage?
The main idea of the passage is that Marie Curie did amazing work with radiation that caused her health problems later.
300
The ice cream cone melted because it was a hot day. What was the cause?
The hot day was the cause.
300
Put these events in order: -I work up and noticed the snow on the ground. -I ran outside and build a snowman. -I went to bed hoping for a snow day.
1. I went to bed hoping for a snow day. 2. I work up and noticed the snow on the ground. 3. I ran outside and build a snowman.
300
Fact or opinion? Oranges contain both calcium and vitamin C.
Fact.
300
Since it was a school day, Denise thought it was peculiar that she saw no children at the bus stop on the street during her drive to work. What could be the meaning of the word peculiar?
strange or unusual
400
It’s hard to imagine what things were like before there was money, but such a time did exist. During these times people exchanged goods using the barter system. The word barter means to trade. People using the barter system traded things instead of buying and selling them. So if you were a rice farmer, you would trade your rice with many people to get all of the things that you wanted or needed. Unfortunately, the people from whom you needed things might not want your rice. Isn’t it nice to just go to the store and buy candy instead of having to trade rice for it? What is the main idea of this passage?
The main idea of this passage is that before money people would use the barter system.
400
Jake had a backyard birthday party. The wind started to blow and the balloons flew away. They got stuck in the rose bush, and popped on its thorns. What was the effect of the wind blowing?
The balloons flew away and popped on the rose thorns.
400
Tom wakes up every morning at 7am. First, he takes a shower. Then, he brushes his teeth and gets dressed. Next, he walks his dog. After that he eats a bowl of cereal. Finally, he packs his bags to leave. What does Tom do after he walks his dog?
After Tom walks his dog he eats a bowl of cereal.
400
Fact or opinion? Students have a lot harder time in school than the teachers.
Opinion.
400
Joanne's mother came up to the school to get the cell phone the teacher had confiscated. What could be the meaning of the word confiscated?
to take away using authority
500
What’s that humming sound? Could it be hummingbird, the only bird capable of backward flight? Hummingbirds have many unique flight habits that distinguish them from other birds. Most birds flap their wings up and down to fly, but the hummingbird moves its wings forward and backward very rapidly in a figure eight pattern. This allows the hummingbird to hover in position, fly upside down, and move about very rapidly. And while other birds have to push off with their feet to begin flying, and work their ways up to their top speeds, the hummingbird can both start flying at maximum speed and stop flying instantaneously. After you’ve seen a hummingbird in flight, it’s unlikely that you’ll mistake them for another bird. What is the main idea of this passage?
The main idea of this passage is that hummingbirds fly in a totally unique and unusual way.
500
Last weekend Emma was so excited about playing on the beach. She played in the water, built sand castles and picked up seashells. She forgot to put on sunscreen and she felt very hot at the end of the day. Her skin was red as fire, and she could not touch it. She had sunburn! What was the cause of Emma's sunburn?
The cause of Emma's sunburn was that she forgot to put on sunscreen.
500
There are four stages of the butterflies life cycle: The first stage is the egg. Butterfly eggs are small and round. The second stage is a caterpillar. Caterpillars are born very small and must eat the leaf that they are born on to grow. The third stage is a pupa or chrysalis. Within the chrysalis the old body parts of the caterpillar are undergoing a remarkable transformation, called metamorphosis. The fourth stage is a butterfly. The caterpillar emerges from the chrysalis as a beautiful butterfly. What is happens after the egg stage in the butterflies life cycle?
After the egg stage, the caterpillar is born.
500
Fact or opinion? Spitting in your hand before you pick up a baseball bat gives you good luck.
Opinion.
500
On the way to her room after just having been grounded, Tammy murmured something under her breath. What could be the meaning of the word murmured?
to mumble or say something so that others cannot hear it
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